A Client's List
by istheresuchathing
Summary: This story begins in an AU where Castiel and Dean Winchester have never met. Dean Winchester, a realtor, is assigned a new client. Castiel Di Angelis is looking for a new home and finds a real estate agency ad for a discounted price. These two unlikely characters from different worlds will meet and come to something more than just strictly professional terms. This is Destiel fluff.
1. Chapter One

"But does it have an actual kitchen? With working equipment?" Castiel asks. There is a short muffled reply on the telephone and his hopes of finding the perfect apartment are dashed again.

"Then no. I'm sorry." he tells his realtor. The voice on the other end says something else. "Well, how about something a little above my price range? I'm sure I can get enough money by then." The realtor gives another reply. "It's going to take a lot more work? Well that's your job so you should do it." Cas says, a little irritated by how lazy his realtor is.

He listens to the voice on the other end rise as it starts speaking again. "What? You can't quit. We aren't done finding the perfect apartment yet." Castiel says to the agent, his voice level. Another angry reply.

"Please. You don't understand my-" he begins to plead desperately. The line goes dead. "Fine then!" he mutters to himself. Cas puts his head in his hands and sighs frustratedly. "That's another agent gone." 

* * *

This is my first time writing fan fiction! This story was originally inspired from a post by zatnikatel who suggested it would be a good idea to write a story for a Destiel AU in which Dean is a realtor and Cas is a fussy client. I do not own any of the characters.


	2. Chapter Two

"Winchester! You got any clients lately!" Gary, the new manager of the Singer Property Agency Limited, pokes his head into Dean's office. "Well, yeah. I've got a couple-" Dean begins before Gary cuts him off. "Great! Listen, Cole just came into my office and told me that one of his clients just fired him. Now we can't afford to lose another client, you know?" Dean frowns. He knew exactly where this speech was going. "Oh no. No, no, no. I'm not taking them. I've got enough on my plate already."

"Too bad. You're taking them anyways." Gary tells him unsympathetically. But one look at the scowl on Dean's face made him sigh. "Listen Dean, our agency is kinda going through a rough patch here so we're gonna need to take in as many clients as we can. And I know you've got a lot going on but you're one of our best," he explains wearily. "Now I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that you can handle it. I know because I've seen you deal with a lot more at worse times."

Dean gives him a blank stare. "Touching speech," he says sarcastically. "But I'm still gonna say no." "No to a raise on your paycheck?" Gary asks slyly. This grabs Dean's attention. "Depends on how much you're raising it by."

"How about a three percent raise on your yearly pay," Gary smiles thoughtfully. "That's an extra 1,620 bucks! Pretty generous." Dean had the 'are you kidding me' look scrawled all over his face. "Make it ten percent." Gary's smile tightens. "Dean, our budget's pretty tight and I don't think-" "Cut the crap Gary." Dean snaps. "I don't believe a single word that's coming out of your mouth. You don't have enough money in the company budget for an employee raise but you've got enough to buy yourself that new Ferrari?"

Gary pales at this but manages to stutter out:"H-how did you find out? It was meant to be a secret." Dean gives him a tight lipped smile. "You've been parking in my spot for the past week, Gary. I had to park my Impala in the grocery store lot across the street. So yeah. I've seen your new ride." "Alright, alright. You got me," Gary chuckles nervously. "How 'bout this? I'll give you a five percent raise if we keep our mouths shut."

"Ten, Gary."

"What? Five is already pretty generous!" he protests.

"Twenty."

"No! We stick to five!"

"Thirty."

"Okay seven! No higher!"

"Forty."

"Not a chance."

"Fifty."

"No! No way!" Gary tries to hold his ground but it's becoming increasingly more difficult.

"Seventy."

"Okay, okay fine! Ten! My final offer!" he pleads, droplets of sweat beginning to form on his forehead.

Dean decides to take pity on the fat, sweaty, balding man in front of him. "Alright, alright. It's a deal." he agrees. Gary sighs in relief and gets up to leave. "Hey try not to strain a muscle there next time, buddy." Dean jokes. Gary gives him a glare over his shoulder and stalks out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Dean smirks.

"Good talk."


	3. Chapter Three

"Thank you for calling Singer Property Agency Limited. This is Cole. How may I help you today?" Castiel listens to the voice on the phone and frowns. "Cole? As in my ex-realtor Cole?" he questions. There is a pause at the other end for a moment before a quiet curse is heard. Then: "Damn it guys! You knew it was him and you still transferred the call to me!" Some snickering is heard in the background and Castiel decides to speak up. "Hello? I'm still here." Another pause.

"Yes sir. My apologies. There was some... interference. Now I'll be transferring your call to your new realtor. Just a moment sir." Before Castiel could protest, there was a click on the other end and that dreadful elevator music began again. This was the third time Cas had been put on hold today. He groaned and wondered if he should just call another real estate agency. There were plenty of them around and probably offered better customer service than this. But this agency was the best and he had found an affordable deal within one of their discounts so-

"Hello?" A low and gravelly voice sounded from the other end. Cas took a moment to appreciate this husky voice before answering. "Yes, hello. Um, my previous realtor had quit in the middle of my search so I was told you would help me continue it."

"That's right, Mr?"

"Castiel Di Angelis."

"Wow, fancy name. I'm Dean. Dean Winchester. When would you like to schedule an appointment?"

"Well, when are you free?"

"I have a free space between one and three tomorrow afternoon. Will that work for you?"

"Uh, yeah. That's good."

"Alright! So do you have any specific details you would..." Castiel had stopped paying attention. He found the sound of Dean's voice quite nice to listen to.

Dean laughs. "Thanks."

Cas turned bright red when he realised he had said that out loud.

"Yours isn't so bad either." Dean added. This made Castiel flush even redder. He mumbled out a thanks and thanked God that Dean couldn't see his face right now. Dean cleared his throat. "Okay. Sappy stuff apart, you got any specific apartment details on your list that you wanna give to me now so I can make a basic list for tomorrow?"

Cas thinks for a moment. "Yes I do actually. I'd like an apartment with a real kitchen and um, a nice view."

"Anything else?"

"Um no. I don't think so."

"Alright then. I will see you tomorrow. Have a good night."

"You too." And with that, Castiel ends the call.


	4. Chapter Four

"I'm leaving for work now!" Dean yells to Lisa. No reply. "Okay then." he mutters to himself. What happened wasn't really his fault though. Not really. His brother Sam's wife, Jessica, had gone into labor three nights ago and Sam didn't have a driver license. Or a car. So he called Dean in. And since family always comes first to him, Dean immediately dropped everything to go help out. Including his weekly date with His girlfriend, Lisa which just happened to be on their one year anniversary of being together. He felt guilty but was comforted by the thought that he did the right thing. The key word being 'was'. But by the way Lisa's been acting now, Dean's not sure if he did the right thing anymore. Sighing, he slowly trudged through the door and quietly closes it behind him.

Three hours had passed since he got to the office and he's only had one consultation so far. Gary wasn't kidding about the business dropping to a low. But at precisely one o' clock, the client that he had an amusing conversation with last night had arrived.


	5. Chapter Five

Castiel had rummaged through his small wardrobe for something decent to wear to the appointment. Eventually, he found an old light blue suit he had worn once for his sister's wedding. He wasn't too fond of it but this was the closest thing to formal attire he had. "Whoa. Fancy get-up," his roommate Charlie poked her head into his room. "You, uh, going on a date or something?"

"No, I actually have an appointment with a realtor today and I wasn't sure what to wear." he replied. "What? You're still planning on leaving?" she asked, surprised. "Yes. Your girlfriend is going to be moving in in two months, Charlie. Two months. And I really don't want to intrude." he answered quietly. "What? No! You're not intruding. You're practically my brother! Leah and I won't mind. Really." Charlie promises quickly.

Castiel shakes his head. "No, I can't do that to you or Leah. You guys wouldn't be able to get any private time together and I would just feel like a third wheel around you two. Plus, it was your apartment in the first place and you were the one who let me stay rent free." "What? That's not true! It's our apartment and you haven't been living here for free, you always pay your half of the rent. On time!" she protested. He nods. "And that's going to be an useful skill for when I get my new apartment."

"Cas." she frowns.

"Charlie."

"Cas."

" _Charlie_."

" _Cas_."

Cas smiles sadly. " _Charlie_. I'm going to be late to the appointment." he says. Charlie's eyes flare with determination one last time and then flickers with defeat. "Fine." she sighs. "Charlie..." Castiel tried to comfort her. "You should probably go." she says, her voice wavering a little. Cas sees Charlie's hands curl into small fists as she stands there, head bowed. "Charlie, come on." he steps towards her, only for her to take a step back. Castiel understands her need to be left alone and leaves the apartment with guilt on his shoulders, weighing him down every step of the way.

By the time Cas reaches the agency's building, his nerves are at an all time high. He's not sure why but he thinks it's probably because he doesn't want to be turned away by another agent. Castiel enters the building quickly, immediately attracting strange glances from other clients and agents inside. He's suddenly self-conscious about his outfit and quickly shuffles towards the receptionist. She gives him directions to the office he's meant to be in. He speed walks to the office, thankfully escaping the judgmental stares of the others. Cas hears the receptionist calling his name but chooses to ignore it. He doesn't want to go back there and be subject to the critical eying of the professionally dressed people.

Taking a deep breath, which Cas now feels silly for doing, he knocks on the door. He hears a 'come in' and enters.


	6. Chapter Six

The door opens and a good looking man dressed in a ridiculous suit walks in. "Are you here to take me to prom?" Dean jokes. And he would've laughed at the atrocious suit if he hadn't caught sight of the man's face. He was undeniably handsome with his perfectly mussed up, tar black hair, mesmerizing blue eyes that were highlighted by the blue suit he wore, and five o'clock stubble. But what caught Dean the most was what flickered in those blue orbs. He saw guilt and fear of being judged by others. Dean understood what it was like to feel those things. After all, he was feeling the exact same thing today too. He was suddenly reminded of the guilt he felt whenever he thought of Lisa, the insecurities and fear of being judged he often hid.

Cas had the same feeling as he stared at Dean, admiring his bright green eyes and strong jawline. The two of them looked at each other unblinkingly until there was a knock at the door. Then Dean blinked and the feeling was over as quickly as it had come. "Come in!" he called out. The receptionist, Anna, had come in. "Sir, I'm just here to check on the client. Uh, Mr. Di Angelis, did you sign in on the visitor checklist? You don't seem to have registered." Castiel had regained his senses by then and quickly stood up. "Oh, I didn't know that I had to. Sorry." he apologized. "It's quite all right," she assured. "I'm just going to need you to come out quickly and register." She left the room and Castiel followed behind.

Dean sat slightly dazed in his chair. What the hell had just happened? It was like the two of them had shared a moment of vulnerability where they had seen the things they tried hardest to hide. Shaking it off, Dean hoped that when Cas came back in, it would be a more professional start. Suddenly Castiel re-entered the room and Dean was shaken out of his thoughts. "Please have a seat, Cas," he gestured towards the seat in front of him. "Can I call you that?" Dean asked quickly, just for confirmation. Cas nodded and sat down, secretly liking how nice the office smelled. Like soap, coffee and wood chips. "Now I've gone ahead and made a list of apartments with nice views of the city and actual kitchens. And by 'actual kitchens', I'm guessing you mean a room with all the proper equipment that belong in a kitchen, such as a stove?" Dean asks, sliding a file across the desk.

"Yes, that's what I mean. But I'm okay with the kitchen not having its own room. Just as long as there is some form of separation between the kitchen and the other room." Castiel explains and takes the file. He opens it and takes out the list. There are seven different apartments that all include the 'must-haves' Cas had set. He's starting to feel excited and hopeful at the same time when he sees the prices of the apartments. Dean sees Castiel's face fall as he scans the list. "Is something not to your liking, Cas?" he queries, not understanding what was wrong with those apartments. Cas slowly lifts his head. "No, everything's good but," he starts to say but then finds himself at a loss for words to explain his financial issues.

"But?" Dean urges. "I, um, the prices on these apartments are too high. I-I can't afford them." Castiel mumbles, and looks down at his feet, embarrassed. Dean too, looks down, feeling guilty for not understanding earlier. An uncomfortable silence hangs in the air for a moment. Then Dean clears his throat. "I'm sorry," he apologizes, a little ashamed. "I didn't know." "It's okay." Cas says quietly. He knows Dean's words are sincere but it still stings a little. "Look Cas, I hate to ask you this, but I need to know in order to do my job. How much do you earn every month?" Dean asks gently. "1 708 dollars a month." Castiel mutters. The shock and sympathy for Cas hits Dean like a brick. It's only a little more than the three percent bonus Gary offered, Dean realized. Cas, noticing the expression change, suddenly becomes very defensive.

"It's not that bad. I'm not homeless or anything. So don't feel sorry for me." he snapped. "I'm not-" Dean tried to say. "Then wipe that sorry look off your face." Cas cut him off. He hated that pitiful look people got when they found out about his financial situation.

Now Dean felt even worse. So he decided to use some humor to lighten up the situation. "Sorry, I'll wipe it off my face." he joked and scrunched up his face, furrowing his eyebrows and crossing his eyes. Cas tried to stay mad. He really did. But one look at Dean's face made him instantly unravel. He cracked a little smile and Dean grinned back. "Now I've been thinking," he started. "Since the prices are too high for you to rent, how about we give you an extra month or two to rake in as much money as you can earn and then buy an apartment?" Cas nodded. "That's a better idea. Can you do some research on cheaper apartments and tell me next time?"

"Sure. When do you want to schedule the next appointment?" Dean queries. "Uh, do you have any time on Thursday?" Cas asks. "Because I have to work all day tomorrow." he explains. Dean nods understandingly. "Yeah, is six in the evening good for you?" "Yes." Cas replies. "Okay, I'll see you then." Dean confirms and Castiel thanks him, before getting up to leave. He is almost at the door when he hears Dean's voice. "What, no goodbye?" Cas turns pink as he mumbles out:"Bye Dean."

Dean smiles. "Bye Cas."


	7. Chapter Seven

Castiel wakes up early the next morning to get ready for work. He slips on his blue work uniform, required at the convenience store. It's only five thirty in the morning and Charlie's still asleep so he quietly takes his car keys and thermos of coffee before heading out the door. Today was going to be a busy day and he would be working two jobs so he would definitely need coffee.

When he got home last night from his shift at The Pear Garden, a local restaurant, she was already asleep so they haven't had a chance to talk yet. Cas sighed. He hoped they would clear all this up soon and things would go back to the way things used to.

He walked up to his old, beat up Volkswagen and unlocked the door. Once he was safely settled inside, he turned the key into ignition. The engine sputtered for a few moments before it roared to life. Well, maybe not roared. Mewled, perhaps? Castiel's car was an old one and he didn't know how many more times he could use it before it stopped working permanently.

He reached the store at five fifty, right on time. His shift actually begins at six but the gas station clock is ten minutes behind and his boss, Hal, only follows that clock. Nobody's dared to correct him because the last employee who tried to received a demotion and a loud lecture from Hal in the middle of the store.

After greeting his boss, Cas sat behind the register and clipped on his name tag. He always waited till the last possible moment to put the dreaded tag on because the name on it wasn't even his name. But as Hal had explained before, the thrift store didn't sell 'Castiel' on those tags so Cas got a name tag that read 'Cassandra' instead. "Close enough." Hal had said when Castiel had first questioned him about it.

Sipping on his coffee, Cas waited for the first wave of customers to come.

After a good three hours of work, Castiel's canteen was empty and he was exhausted. He checked his watch. Just one more hour.

The bell jingled as another customer walked in. "Good morning, sir. How may I help you today?" Cas said, staring at the counter mindlessly. "Hi, I'd like to buy this box of chocolates and some wrapping paper." the man smiled. Cas recognized that voice. He looked up. "Dean?" Dean chuckled. "Hello to you too, Cas... Sandra?" Cas turned beet red and immediately tried to fix it. He fumbled with the pin and accidentally pricked himself, drawing blood. Dean stopped chuckling. "Oh shit! You okay?" he asked, concerned. "Yes, yes. I'm alright." Cas replied, and dabbed at the blood with a tissue. Dean nodded quickly. "So can you,uh, check these out for me? I'm kind of in a hurry." he asked sheepishly. Castiel looked up. "Of course, sorry." he apologised, picking up the items. "If you don't mind me asking," Cas began. "What do you need these for?" he asked curiously. "They're for my girlfriend Lisa. We were kinda going through a rough patch and I want to make it up to her." Dean replies.

A small pang of disappointment courses through Castiel. _Of course Dean had a girlfriend._ Cas was stupid to even think he had a chance with him. He sighed internally. "Oh okay." he said. Cas tried to keep his tone as neutral as possible but it was hard. Dean noticed a sudden change in Castiel's mood. His aura seemed to dampen and he just seemed to droop in general. Dean had probably unknowingly brought up some sort of problem Castiel had with someone, a girl maybe. He didn't know why, but that thought repelled him a little. "Cas, buddy? You with me?" he asked, concern lacing his voice. "Yes," Cas cleared his throat. "Here are your items. Have a good day, Dean." Dean cautiously picked up his bag of gifts. "Okay. I'll see you later then." he said awkwardly, giving Cas a pat on the arm. "Bye Dean." Castiel replied.

After Dean left, Cas sighed. He looked at his watch again. Fifty five minutes left. And then he'd have to go change and head to the Pear Garden.

 _This was going to be a long day._


	8. Chapter Eight

Castiel hops into his car, and immediately turns the key into ignition. He's going to be late for his shift at one of the fanciest restaurants in town and he could not get fired. The pay there was good and it earned half of his entire budget every month. After a shaky ride to the restaurant, his car came to a sputtering stop outside its doors.

He runs into the employee lounge to get changed into the long sleeved, white button down and black vest. Hurrying into the kitchen, he's immediately met with a command from one of the chefs, Uriel. "Di Angelis! Table seven! Get out there now!" he shouts. Castiel sighs, but pushes open the doors leading to the dining area. Before he can exit though, one of the other waiters, Corbett, pulls Cas aside. "Corbett? What are you doing?" he says, confused.

"Listen Castiel, can we swap tables?" Corbett asks, scratching his head sheepishly. "Sure, but why?" Castiel queries. Corbett has a serious look on his face as he explains. "Ed's on table seven and you know how I have that, you know, thing for him?" He blushes and Cas smiles knowingly. Corbett's been pining after Ed for almost four months now but the only problem is that Ed is as straight as a ruler. "Okay, I'll swap with you." Castiel agrees. Corbett's face lights up and he hugs Cas. "Thanks man. You've got Table Two, a couple's sitting there." he informs Cas quickly before rushing off to Ed's table.

Cas smoothes down his dress shirt and plasters on a bright smile. He walks over to the table and flips open his notebook. "Hi, I'm Castiel and I'll be your server today. May I start you off with any drinks?" he introduces himself politely. "Cas?" the man sitting at the table says, and Castiel looks up. His eyes widen in shock as he realises the couple sitting in front of him is no other than Dean and Lisa.

"Hi, I'm Castiel and I'll be your server today. May I start you off with any drinks?" Dean looks up to see the same blue eyed man he's run into twice today. Dean's happy to see Cas since he's not really having a good time with Lisa. _Thank God for Castiel, his own personal saviour._ Despite his relief, Dean decides to play it cool. "Hey Cas, fancy seeing you here too."

"I swear I'm not following you," Castiel blurts out, turning a little pink. "If that's what you're thinking." he adds. Dean smiles at the other man's flustered words. He finds it kind of... cute.

Lisa, on the other hand, was not nearly as pleased. "Yes, I'll have a glass of Pinot Noir. And make it snappy." she says icily. Cas pretends not to notice Lisa's unfriendliness and jots it down on his notebook. "Okay. What about you, sir?" he asks, trying to stay professional. "I'll take a glass of Merlot." Dean orders, grinning at Castiel. Lisa frowns. "Why can't you just order Pinot Noir like I did?" Dean turns towards Lisa, all traces of his smile gone. "Does it really matter?" he asks, a little irritation seeping into his tone. Cas feels like he's in the middle of some drama between the two and leaves quickly.

"Glass of Pinot Noir and a bottle of Merlot." Castiel tells his cousin Balthazar, one of the friendlier chefs. He ordered a bottle instead of a glass because it seems like Dean's having a rough night with Lisa. "Coming right up!" the English chef says, and passes him a tray of the ordered cocktails. Cas thanks him and grabs the tray.

Dean and Lisa were in the middle of another argument by the time Castiel returned. "-think I have the right to be jealous? He's some freak that keeps following you around everywhere!" he heard Lisa saying. Cas couldn't help feeling a little hurt. He knew that Lisa was just being irrationally jealous and was freaking out but it still hurt. "He's not some freak and he has a name." Castiel heard Dean defending him. Needless to say, it warmed his heart a little to hear that Dean was siding with him rather than his girlfriend. Cas approached the unhappy couple and they fell silent as he drew near. "Here are your drinks." he said and handed Lisa her glass of wine. He sat a glass of Merlot next to Dean's plate. "Are you ready to order now?" he asked them. "I'll have the cajun seafood pasta." Lisa said, her voice blank but her eyes cold. "And I'll have the stuffed chicken valentino." Dean ordered. "Alright, I'll be back shortly with your orders." Cas answered, and slipped the bottle of Merlot to Dean from under the table.

Dean felt something cool and heavy fall into the palms of his hands. He quickly glanced down to see a bottle of Merlot and then looked up to see Castiel flashing him a quick and cheeky grin. Dean smiled back and gripped the bottle a little tighter. Then, as Cas walked by him on his way to the kitchen, Dean heard him whisper. "You might need it." And then Castiel was gone. Even Lisa's suspicious scowl didn't bother him right now.

Dean smiled and secretly thanked Cas for being so understanding. He really was Dean's saviour, sent from God himself.


	9. Chapter Nine

It's only halfway through dinner and Dean's already done with both his meal and Lisa's attitude. All she's done tonight is constantly remind him about how angry she is that Dean missed their one year anniversary date for Sam and Jess. And when Lisa's not complaining, she's been going on her phone and texting someone. Dean sighs. Apparently taking her to one of the fanciest and most expensive restaurants as a make up date was not good enough. Suddenly, he remembered the box of chocolates he had got her and dug it out of his bag. "Hey Lisa." Dean said, snapping her out of her phone conversation. "What?" Lisa snaps, clearly agitated from being pulled away from her texting. Dean's smile faltered. He suddenly saw how the woman in front of him has changed so much from the girl he had met in university. She had changed so much, both physically and mentally. The girl he had a been afraid to ask out was a shy, awkward, but sweet girl who was a healthy weight and wore almost no makeup. The lady sitting across him was a whiny, fake, and snobby woman who had lost an unhealthy amount of weight and caked her face with too much makeup. This is not the girl he fell in love with. Dean realised that he wasn't in love with Lisa anymore, or if he ever was truly in love with her. "What?" Lisa repeated, and Dean was drawn back to the real world. "I got you a gift." he replied and Lisa's face lit up. He pulled out the box of chocolates and her face fell. "Is this a joke?" she demanded, glaring at the chocolate box. "No it isn't. What did you expect?" he retorted. "A diamond necklace, or opal earrings? Not some crappy box of chocolates!" Lisa snarled. "You ditched me on our one year anniversary for Sam and Jess! That is such a pathetic excuse!" she said angrily, her voice beginning to rise. They were beginning to attract attention from other customers.

 _And you're a pathetic excuse for a girlfriend._ Dean thought but didn't say out loud. "Oh I'm sorry. Should I have told my _brother_ that I couldn't help with his wife's baby because of some _date_?" he asked sarcastically, his temper rising with every comment she made. "Well, what kind of a boyfriend-" Lisa started to yell back when her phone suddenly buzzed with a new text. Seeing how Lisa's phone was still open in a chat, Dean picked it up quickly, despite Lisa's futile attempts to get it back. Standing up, Dean began reading the messages aloud, in a voice loud enough for most to hear.

 _Chris: hey baby, last night was great. next time at my place? ;)_

 _Lisa: kk be there 2night when he's asleep_

 _Chris: can't wait_

 _Chris: ;)_

 _Lisa: hold on brb_

Cas walks out of the kitchen to see what all the commotion is about and joins a small crowd of onlookers. He hears all of the disgusting texts Chris and Lisa have been sending to each other behind Dean's back. He knew that Lisa wasn't exactly the poster girl for the perfect girlfriend, but to stoop this low? From what he'd seen, Dean was a good boyfriend whose only crime was that he ditched his one year anniversary with Lisa to help with a family emergency. It was a valid reason and Cas understood why he went to help his brother out. Family first, right? But it seemed like this whole fight started because of that. Dean definitely didn't deserve to be cheated on. Lisa, for her part, at least had the decency to look ashamed while she was desperately trying to get her phone back.

As soon as Dean finished reading the last text, he angrily threw the phone back to Lisa. He gave her a disbelieving look. "How long has this been going on for?" he asked quietly. Lisa tried to act casual to hide her humiliation by pretending to scroll through her Instagram feed. "How long?" Dean shouted, furious. The crowd of onlookers fell silent and she looked up nervously. "Four months." she answered, her voice barely a whisper. Dean shook his head, disgusted. "We're done." he said, his voice not wavering and his fists clenching. Lisa picked up her handbag and all but ran out of the restaurant, her face burning. The crowd started to boo after her and someone threw a balled up napkin at her.

"What are you all looking at?" Dean growled at the unwanted audience. The crowd quickly dispersed but Cas remained where he was. He hurried towards Dean. "Dean, I am so sorry." he said. Dean just shook his head angrily and stormed out of the restaurant. Castiel understood the fact that Dean wanted to be alone and didn't try to follow him. The rest of his shift continued normally but the thought of what happened to Dean remained in his mind the whole time. His shift ended at ten thirty and he bid goodbye to Corbett and Balthazar before grabbing his trench coat and walking out the back exit.

As he pulled on the other sleeve of his trench coat, Cas noticed a huddled figure squatting by the dumpster. The figure didn't seem to notice Castiel and lifted up a bottle to their lips. The light shone on the bottle long enough for Cas to recognise it as a bottle of Merlot. "Dean?"


	10. Chapter Ten

"Dean?" Dean looked up to see Castiel standing in front of him. "Hey Cas. What are you doing here?" he slurred, then took another swig from his bottle of wine. "I work here. And I could ask you the same thing." Cas replied, and held out a hand to Dean. Dean stared at it unblinkingly but didn't make any move to grab it. Castiel sighed and pulled Dean up by the arm. "Come on Dean. Let's get you home."

Slowly, the two of them made their way to the parking lot. "We'll take my car home." Cas offered and began walking towards his Volkswagen, dragging Dean after him. Even in his drunken state, Dean managed to shake his head and pull his arm away. "No way. We-we're not getting in that old piece of crap." he protested. "Dean, I'm the driver so I get to pick what vehicle we take. So come on." Castiel reasoned and Dean reluctantly walked towards the car. As Cas started up the engine, the engine roared for a moment and then sputtered out. "Come on, come on!" he groaned, twisting his car keys around and pushing the pedal. The car wouldn't move, it had already taken its last breath. Cas slammed a hand on his dashboard. "Really?" he growled at the Volkswagen. Dean grinned as he got out of the car. "Need a ride, Cas?" he smirked and started walking, more like stumbling, towards his own car. Castiel sighed and pulled his car keys out. He would come and get his car out of the parking lot tomorrow.

Dean sat in the driver's seat and Cas immediately shook his head. "Nope. Move over. You're not driving when you're drunk." he said and Dean frowned. "But it's my car. And I don't let _anyone_ drive it. No one." he argued, then hiccuped. "Well then you'll have to make an exception for tonight." Cas retorted and Dean grudgingly slid into the passenger seat. "One time only." he mumbled. Castiel smiled and sat down in the driver's seat. He admired the excellent condition Dean kept his Impala in before turning towards Dean. "Keys." he said, holding a hand out. Dean grumbled and fished the keys out of his pocket. "Aren't you supposed to give that to the valet?" Cas asked. "I don't trust them." Dean muttered. Cas rolled his eyes good naturally and turned the keys into ignition.

As they were driving along the highway, Castiel realised he still didn't know where Dean lived. "Hey Dean? Where do you live? I've got to drive you home." he asked, not tearing his eyes away from the road. There was no reply. Cas' eyes slid towards the other man and realised Dean was fast asleep. "Alright. Then I hope you won't mind staying at my apartment." Cas said to the sleeping man next to him.

"Dean, wake up." Castiel said, nudging Dean with his elbow. "Hmm..." Dean mumbled, snuggling into Cas. He froze. "Uh Dean?" Castiel said again, but Dean just buried his face into Cas' side. Castiel shivered for a moment before getting a hold on himself. As much as he wanted to snuggle with Dean in his car all night, he knew how it might jeopardise the friendship he had with Dean. So he elbowed Dean hard in the ribs. "Dean!" "Ow, what the hell? What?" Dean groaned, eyes springing open. He slowly sat up and the moment his body stopped making contact with Cas, he felt cold again. "Dean, come on. You fell asleep on the way home and I don't know where you live. So is it okay for you to stay at my place tonight?" Castiel asked nervously. Dean thought for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, this is probably the best place for me to sleep tonight. I just can't go back to my place since you know, Lisa's probably there." he explained and Cas agreed. Unbuckling their seat belts, the two of them got out of the car and into the apartment.

In the elevator, Cas explained to Dean that he had a roommate so they had to be extremely quiet when entering. Dean simply nodded in reply and rubbed his eyes. He was too tired to do anything other than sleep. Unlocking the door, Cas put a finger up to his lips before opening the door. Surprisingly, the lights were on inside and Charlie jumped out from behind a door, wielding Excalibur, a fake sword she bought in Comic Con last summer. "Cas?" she said, shocked. "Charlie?" Castiel said, equally as shocked.


	11. Chapter Eleven

"Oh. My. Xbox. Cas, what on middle earth do you think you were doing?" Charlie exclaimed, momentarily forgetting the fight they had earlier. "I'm sorry! It's been a rough night and long story short, Dean doesn't have a place to stay and so we're going to let him stay here." Cas explained drowsily. Charlie protested. "Well, I've got some energy, so tell me the story." "Yes, well Dean nor I do, so I'll explain it to you in the morning." Castiel retorted. "Wait, but we only have two bedrooms. Where's Dean gonna sleep?" she asked, a little confused. Cas sighed. "I'll work something out. Goodnight Charlie." Charlie rolled her eyes, but walked back into her bedroom silently, sword still in hand.

"She's right though." a voice startled Cas out of his thoughts. "Where am I gonna sleep?" Dean asked, setting the bottle of wine down on the coffee table. Cas thought for a moment before deciding. "You can sleep in my room." Dean, even in his drunken state, shook his head firmly. "I'm cool sleeping on the couch, dude." Castiel was not in the mood to argue and decided to head to his bedroom. _I guess I'll be sleeping here then._ Dean thought. A moment later, Cas walked back out with a blanket and a pillow. "I've got more pillows and blankets on my bed. Go make yourself comfortable." he mumbled and started setting up the sofa.

Dean felt a rush of gratefulness to this man who he'd just met a few days ago. Castiel was that kind of person who could easily give up luxuries to one in need, like how he gave up his bedroom or snuck him the bottle of Merlot. _Cas seemed to know just what Dean needed and gave them without complaint._ Dean thought, smiling. He uttered a quick thank you to Cas before heading to the bedroom. Castiel's room was neat and tidy, just as Dean had expected it to be. Too tired to take in anything else, Dean collapsed on the soft bed and sighed contentedly.

Cas was all settled on the couch. He was very uncomfortable on it, not because it had lumps or scratchy material but because the couch was too small to fit his six foot frame. He curled up into a ball and hoped that sleep would come quickly to him. Unfortunately for him, despite his tiredness, he just couldn't seem to fall asleep. He kept thinking of the handsome, green eyed man who was currently lying on his bed, probably sleeping to his heart's content. Castiel had warned himself many times not to think about Dean Winchester that way. _Feelings to yourself, Castiel._ Dean doesn't even like you that way. No use pining after someone who doesn't return those feelings. But this was just a minor crush and Cas was sure he would be over it in a week or two.

Little did Castiel know that Dean was still lying on his bed, wide awake. Dean couldn't fall asleep, no matter what he tried. _Is it the temperature?_ No, Dean already adjusted the thermometer to a slightly cooler temperature.

 _What about the bed?_ That's not it either. The bed Dean was lying on was soft and offered good back support.

 _Maybe it's the pillows._ Not that either. Cas' pillows were quite comfortable and neither too high nor too low. They were perfect. _Like Cas._ A little voice in the back of his head whispered mischievously. _Shut up and get back in your corner._ Dean thought irritatedly. _No. Not until you understand- Understand what, huh? I just broke up with Lisa, I'm drunk and Cas was just being nice. I don't have anything to admit or understand._ Dean told the voice. _Or does it?_ the annoying, nagging little part of him persisted. Dean growled and slammed a pillow into his face. He shoved the little voice into an imaginary pit, somewhere it wouldn't bother him.

 _You can't hide from me, Dean. I'm a part of you._

Oh God.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Dean woke up the next morning, bleary eyed and with a pounding headache. He slowly sat up and looked around at his unfamiliar surroundings before remembering that he was staying at Cas' apartment. And suddenly, everything that happened last night came crashing back to him. As did the headache. He winced and groaned. This had to be the mother of all hangovers, and it was definitely the worst one he had ever had.

Stumbling into the living room, Dean saw Charlie fixing three cups of coffee, one for Charlie, one for Dean, and one for Cas. Where was Cas anyway? Dean wondered and suddenly noticed a body on the couch. The dark haired, blue eyed man was sleeping, curled up into a ball and face buried in his blanket. Dean suddenly felt a huge wave of guilt washing over him, even bigger than the hangover, because of how uncomfortable it must have been for Castiel last night.

Charlie walked over to him with a cup of coffee and some aspirin. "Don't wake him up. He's exhausted. I heard him getting up and pouring himself water multiple times." she told Dean, handing him the cup of coffee and aspirin. "Thanks," Dean replied, gratefully accepting the mug and the aspirin. He watched how Charlie carefully lifted the blanket and tucked it carefully around Castiel, who in turn made a quiet snuffling noise. _Adorable._ Dean thought before stuffing the voice back in its corner. He turned to Charlie. "So are you and Cas together?" he asked bluntly. He couldn't help himself and he noticed how close the two of them were. Charlie stared at him for a moment before smiling knowingly. "No, he's more of a brother to me. I'm gay," she told him and smirked. "Why, do you have a thing for my friend?" she asked slyly.

This caught Dean off guard. "Wh-what? What are you talking about? Nope." he denied quickly, stumbling over some of his words. "Right." Charlie said, still keeping that smug smile on her face as she handed him the other cup. "Give this to your boyfriend when he wakes up." she instructed cheerfully before walking back into the kitchen. Dean was about to deny it again when he heard a yawn. "Good morning Dean." Cas mumbled sleepily and Dean looked at him. "Morning Cas." he replied and handed him the mug of coffee. "Here you go. Charlie asked me to give it to you." Dean told him. "I suppose that means she's not upset anymore." Castiel mumbled quietly to himself. But due to their close proximity, Dean heard it as well. "You guys had a fight?" he asked curiously. Cas glanced at him. "Yes." Dean nodded unsurely but didn't probe further, he could understand why Castiel would be so tight lipped about this sort of thing. An awkward silence filled the air. Dean couldn't understand why he was always able to keep conversation with every single he's met except for Castiel. "Well, thanks for letting me stay the night." he thanked Castiel and shifted to his other foot. "I'll see you around Cas." he gave the blue eyed man a quick pat on the back before heading to the door. "You... could stay for breakfast." Cas offered hesitantly. "I mean, only if you want to." Dean stared at him. He wanted to stay. He really did.

But he still had to head to work today and so he reluctantly shook his head. "Sorry, I've got to get to work." Dean said apologetically and Cas seemed to slump a little. "Okay." he replied. Dean felt horrible for making Castiel unhappy, especially since the man had been so kind to Dean, a stranger Cas barely knew. "How about lunch instead? We still have an appointment this afternoon anyways." he blurted out, before he could stop himself. "As friends of course." _Smooth. Shut it._ Castiel visibly brightened a little. "Yes that would be nice." he agreed. Dean smiled and left the apartment, leaving a happy Castiel and a pleased Charlie who had been spying the entire time.

* * *

Hi! Sorry this update is a little late but school is starting so I will probably be updating a little less because of the busy schedule! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Dean switched his attention to the clock on the wall once again. He'd been in a repetitive cycle of constantly checking the time and then compiling suitable apartment lists. _Type. Check the time. Type. Check the time._ He just couldn't completely focus on his work like usual and though he wasn't completely sure why, he had an inkling of an idea that this had something to do with his lunch date with Cas. No, not date. More like a meeting of two friends for lunch.

 _You keep telling yourself that._ Crowley whispered. Yes, it was stupid but Dean had actually named the little annoying voice in his head after one of his past clients who had also been particularly irritating. Dean mentally handcuffed Crowley to an imaginary table, hoping for him to shut up. He turned back to his work and did his best not to look at the time and focus on the list. He started to type again when he suddenly had that urge to check the time again. Y _ou're acting like a silly schoolgirl that's about to go on her first date._ Crowley remarked smugly. Dean gritted his teeth and ignored the voice. His eyes slid to the digital clock that was set on the corner of his laptop screen. _12:58._ Just two more minutes. Dean frowned and shook his head, to clear the small mist of excitement that was fogging up his mind. Crowley coughed. _Ahem. Ahem. Ahem. Schoolgirl._ Dean growled under his breath.

* * *

Castiel found himself digging through his closet for the second time in the span of three days. He was trying to decide between a blue denim polo shirt and a black sweater when he heard two knocks on his open door. He turned to see Charlie standing there, arms crossed. She sent him a tiny smile. "Hey Cas, you got any time to talk?" she asked hopefully. Cas glanced at the small heap of clothes on the ground and then at the clock. It was only twelve thirty. "Sure."

Relieved, Charlie sat on top of Castiel's bed and sighed. "Listen Cas, if you're really serious about moving out, I'm not gonna stop you." she started and this caught Cas' attention. He turned to her, surprise written all over his face. Charlie was usually very stubborn and hearing her say that was a little shocking. "Thank you-" Castiel started before being cut off. "Now I'm still gonna try to convince you to stay, obviously." she continued firmly, making Cas smile. "But I think I might be okay with you moving out because this morning, I had an, um, an..." Charlie trailed off, thinking of a way to say it. "An epiphany! Yes, an epiphany this morning and I really think that Dean could be good for you." she finished triumphantly. Cas turned red at that last part of her speech. "What do you mean by that?" he asked suspiciously. "I mean Dean can help you find a suitable home." Charlie answered slyly. Castiel felt like there was some kind of double meaning to her words but decided not to probe any further. "Alright. Thank you for respecting my wishes, Charlie." Cas told her sincerely. "So we're good now, right?" Charlie asked, just to confirm. Castiel rolled his eyes fondly. "Yes, we are. Now can you help me pick out a shirt?"

Charlie carefully considered the two options for a moment before deciding. "The blue denim polo shirt." she answered promptly. Then she slid off the bed and dug through his meager pile of clothes. "Pair that with these dark jeans." she ordered, shoving the pants and shirt at him. Castiel nodded obediently and headed off to the bathroom to change.

A minute later, Cas walked out of the bathroom wearing the clothes Charlie had picked out for him. "Damn Cas! You have got to let me pick out your outfits more often!" she grinned, admiring how well the shirt went with his eyes and how tight those jeans were. Castiel smiled. "It's not like I have a walk in closet full of nice clothes." She walked over and rolled up the sleeves until his elbows. "There is no way that Dean won't be in love with you after today!" Charlie squealed. Cas blushed. "Well it doesn't matter how nice I dress, Dean doesn't bat for the other team. He had a girlfriend, remember?" he told Charlie, a little glumly. She frowned for a moment before brightening up. "Well if you think he's straight, then why bother even trying to dress up?" Charlie asked, smirking. "Because I don't like looking like a clown in public." he responded. "But you wore that monkey suit two days ago?" she fired back. Castiel opened his mouth to retort something before closing it again. Charlie was right.

"Well it doesn't matter. I only have a tiny crush on him and Dean is straight as a ruler." Cas replied quickly. Charlie broke into a big grin. "So you admit to having a crush, hmm?" she asked smugly. Castiel blushed furiously, he hadn't meant to reveal that. "The time seems to have crept up on us. It's already twelve forty five so I should be going now." he excused himself and gave her a quick hug before running out of the apartment. Charlie snorted at Castiel's lame attempt to change the subject. The door slammed and she was left alone with her thoughts. "Dean's straight, my ass." she mumbled to herself, before shuffling off to make herself a sandwich.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Castiel walked along Central Avenue, buzzing with a controlled excitement. He walked into 'Slice of Heaven', an incredibly successful café chain that was owned by his brother, Gabriel. He had visited this café many times along with any other customers, all eager for the newest cake creations Gabriel would introduce every week. This week's special dessert was honey glazed donuts with raspberry cream filling. Mmm. This was partly the reason why Dean and Cas had agreed to meet up in that cafe.

He chose a two seater table by the window and ordered two donuts, one for Dean and one for himself. A few minutes later, a certain green eyed man walked into the cafe and spotted Cas almost immediately, giving him a bright smile and Castiel couldn't help but grin back. "Hey Cas." Dean slid into the chair opposite to Castiel. "Hello Dean," Cas greeted and handed him a menu. "I already ordered us some honey glazed donuts, is that alright? " he asked uncertainly. "You can still order more if you want to though." Cas added unsurely. "Yeah, that sounds awesome!" Dean assured him, chuckling at how Castiel always seemed to be in a state of being flustered. _Adorable. Shut up._

"Two honey glazed donuts with raspberry cream filling." A short, blond haired waiter with a mustache placed two plates, each with a donut that was baked golden and thinly glossed with honey. "Thanks," Castiel thanked the man and glanced up. "Gabriel? What are you doing here?" "Wait, Gabriel, as in the owner of the 'Slice of Heaven' chain Gabriel?" Dean asked incredulously, eyes wide. Gabriel smirked and pulled off his fake mustache. "That's me. No signatures please." he said cockily and gave Cas a hearty slap on the back. "What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be on a business trip." Castiel hissed, mortified. "Oh, the flight was delayed so I actually have to leave tonight. Plus, I couldn't possibly miss a chance to spend some quality bonding time with my little bro and his boyfriend!" he replied cheekily. "We're not together." the two of them blurted out at the same time. _But you want him to be._ Dean shifted uncomfortably while Cas just looked down at the table, embarrassed. Gabriel grinned widely. He lived for this kind of stuff. "Maybe not yet." he smirked. And as if on cue, Castiel and Dean began to blush. _Those two are adorable._ he thought.

Castiel felt so humiliated that he wanted to sink into a hole right now and disappear forever. Unfortunately, 'Embarrass Castiel Day' wasn't over. His older brother dragged a chair over to their table, making a loud screeching noise and turning other customers' heads. "Gabriel's your brother?" Dean asked Cas in a whisper. "Unfortunately." Castiel joked, earning a chuckle from Dean. The two of them watched Gabriel slowly drag the chair across the room, regularly bumping into other people. Finally, he made it back to their table. "So, you guys _aren't_ dating?" he asked mischievously, faking confusion. "We aren't." Dean confirmed and Castiel couldn't help but feel a little hurt. It was silly since they actually weren't dating, but he still felt kind of bad. Gabriel, upon noticing the very subtle mood change in his little brother, suddenly felt a sense of protection and spoke up. "Yeah I was just joking. Cassie here actually has a boyfriend already." he lied and Castiel began choking on his donut. "Oh. Cool." Dean said calmly, his face blank, giving away nothing. Gabriel frowned. _Maybe Dean really didn't like Cas that way_. But he was usually good at noticing if there was any chemistry between two people. Suddenly the tablecloth went a little taut on Dean's side of the table. Gabriel pretended to drop his spoon just in time to see Dean's clenched fist let go of the tablecloth. He grinned. _That was all the confirmation he needed._


End file.
